Ottawa

Here's what you need to know about Ottawa Race Weekend road closures

Signs of Ottawa Race Weekend will be pretty unavoidable around downtown Ottawa this weekend, and with several road closures to vehicles, drivers should try to avoid certain routes and areas.

Bulk of closures around Ottawa City Hall Saturday afternoon to Sunday afternoon

The first races of the weekend take place Saturday, but the road closures begin Friday. (Justin Tang/Canadian Press)

Even if you're not signed up to run, it'll be hard to avoid Ottawa Race Weekend if you're anywhere near central Ottawa/Gatineau this weekend.

Several major roads will be closed to vehicles, and motorists are advised to avoid certain areas altogether.

The road closures actually begin Friday morning. Most will be in place from Saturday afternoon to Sunday afternoon, but will be lifted overnight.

Saturday's two, five and 10-kilometre runs start at Ottawa City Hall and stretch as far south as Dow's Lake along Queen Elizabeth Driveway, Colonel By Drive and Elgin Street.

The routes for Saturday's races. (Ottawa Race Weekend)

Sunday's kids run and half and full marathons cover an area stretching from Westboro to Orléans, through the Glebe and over to Gatineau.

The routes for Sunday's races. (Ottawa Race Weekend)

Here's the full list of road closures

Friday, May 25

Queen Elizabeth Driveway between Laurier Avenue and Somerset Street W.: from 8 a.m. Friday to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Saturday, May 26

  • Laurier Avenue between Metcalfe and Nicholas streets: from 1 to 9 p.m.
  • Elgin Street between Cooper and Wellington streets: from 1 to 7:30 p.m.
  • Elgin Street between Cooper and Frank streets: from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.
  • Elgin Street between Catherine Street and Queen Elizabeth Driveway: from 3:30 to 8:45 p.m.
  • Lisgar Street between Cartier and Elgin streets: from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
  • Elgin Street between Lisgar and Catherine streets: from 6:15 to 7:00 p.m.
  • Frank Street between Elgin and Queen Elizabeth Driveway: from 2:45 to 3:45 p.m.
  • Queen Street between Elgin and Metcalfe streets: from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
  • Metcalfe Street between Wellington and Albert streets: from 3:30 to 4:35 p.m.
  • Wellington Street between Bank Street and Colonel By Drive eastbound: from 3:30 to 5 p.m.
  • Queen Elizabeth Drive: from 3:30 to 8 p.m.
  • Lakeside Avenue: from 6 to 8 p.m.
  • Bronson Avenue southbound between Lakeside Avenue and Colonel By Drive: lane reductions from 6 to 8 p.m.
  • Colonel By Drive between Daly Avenue and Hawthorne Road: from 3 to 8:30 p.m.
  • Colonel By Drive between Hawthorne Road and Bronson Avenue: from 3 to 8:30 p.m.
  • Hawthorne Road between Colonel By Drive and Main Street: from 3 to 8 p.m.
  • Main Street between Hawthorne Road and Graham Avenue: from 4 to 5 p.m.
  • Graham Avenue between Main Street and Echo Drive: from 4 to 5 p.m.
  • Echo Drive between Graham Avenue and the Pretoria Bridge: from 4 to 5 p.m.
  • Pretoria Bridge: from 3:30 to 8:45 p.m.
  • Argyle Street between Elgin Street and the Queen Elizabeth Driveway: from 6:30 to 8:45 p.m.
  • Queen Elizabeth Driveway between Somerset and Elgin streets: from 2 to 9 p.m.
  • Queen Elizabeth Driveway between Elgin and Preston streets: 3 to 8:30 p.m.

Sunday, May 27

  • Laurier Avenue W. between Elgin and Metcalfe streets: from 5 to 10 a.m.
  • Laurier Avenue W. between Nicholas and Elgin streets: from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  • Queen Elizabeth Driveway between Preston and Elgin streets: from 6 to 10 a.m.
  • Queen Elizabeth Driveway between Lawrence Frieman Lane and Laurier Avenue W.: from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Queen Elizabeth Driveway between Elgin and Somerset streets: from 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
  • Elgin Street between Cooper and Slater streets: from 5 to 10:30 a.m.
  • Elgin Street between Cooper and Catherine streets: from 8:45 to 9:45 a.m.
  • Lisgar Street between Cartier & Elgin streets: from 6 to 8:30 a.m.
  • Cartier Street between Lisgar and Cooper streets: from 7:45 to 8:30 a.m.
  • Cooper Street between Cartier street and The Driveway: from 7:45 to 8:30 a.m.
  • The Driveway between Cooper and Somerset streets: from 7:45 to 8:30 a.m.
  • Wellington Street W. eastbound between Elgin Street and Colonel By Drive: from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • Rideau Street westbound between Sussex Drive and Mackenzie Avenue – 7:30 am-2:00 pm
  • Preston Street northbound between Queen Elizabeth Driveway and Carling Avenue: from 6:30 to 10:45 a.m.
  • Carling Avenue westbound between Preston Street and Sherwood Drive: from 6:45 to 11 a.m.
  • Carling Avenue eastbound at Preston Street: from 6:45 to 11 a.m.
  • Sherwood Drive between Carling and Fairmont avenues: from 6:15 to 11:15 a.m.
  • Fairmont Avenue between Sherwood Drive & Wellington Street: from 6:15 to 11:30 a.m.
  • Wellington Street between Fairmont Avenue and Island Park Drive: from 6:15 to 11:45 a.m.
  • Richmond Road between Island Park Drive and Athlone Avenue: from 6:15 to 9:30 a.m.
  • Athlone Avenue between Richmond Road and Scott Street: from 6:15 to 9:30 a.m.
  • Sir Frederic Banting Drive and Colombine Driveway: from 6:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
  • Scott Street eastbound between Churchill Avenue and Island Park Drive: from 6:15 to 10 a.m.
  • Scott Street westbound between Island Park Drive and Holland Avenue: from 6:15 a.m. to 12 p.m.
  • Island Park Drive between Scott Street and Richmond Road: from 8:15 to 11:45 a.m.
  • Sir John A Macdonald Parkway/Wellington Street between Booth Street and Island Park Drive: from 6:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
  • Booth Street between Wellington and Eddy streets: 6:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
  • Chaudière Bridge between 6:45 a.m. and 12:45 p.m.
  • Eddy Street between Booth Street and rue Wright: from 7 to 1 p.m.
  • Boulevard Alexandre-Taché between rue Eddy and rue Montcalm: from 7 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
  • Boulevard Alexandre-Taché between rue Montcalm and rue Scott: from 7 to 10:45 a.m.
  • Rue Scott between boulevard Alexandre-Taché and rue Graham: from 7 to 11 a.m.
  • Promenade du Lac-des-Fées between rue Graham and rue St. Jean Bosco: from 7 to 11 a.m.
  • Rue St Jean Bosco between promenade du Lac-des-Fées and rue Lois – 7 to 11:15 a.m.
  • Rue Lois between rue St. Jean Bosco and rue Montcalm: from 7 to 11:30 a.m.
  • Rue Montcalm southbound between rue St. Joseph and rue Papineau: from 7 to 11:30 a.m.
  • Rue Montcalm between rue Papineau and rue Wellington: from 7 to 11:30 a.m.
  • Rue Montcalm between rue Wellington and chemin Taché: from 7 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
  • Rue Wellington between rue Montcalm and rue Eddy: from 7 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
  • Promenade du Portage between rue Eddy and rue de l'Hôtel-de-Ville: from 7 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
  • Rue de l'Hôtel-de-Ville between Promenade du Portage and rue Laurier: from 7 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
  • Rue Laurier between rue de l'Hôtel-de-Ville and boulevard des Allumettières: from 7 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.
  • Alexandra Bridge between 6:45 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
  • St. Patrick Street between Parent Avenue and Sussex Drive: from 6 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
  • Sussex Drive between Rideau Street and the George Étienne Cartier Parkway: from 6:00 a.m. to 1:45 p.m.
  • The George Étienne Cartier Parkway between Princess Street and the Aviation Parkway: 6:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
  • Buena Vista Road between the George Étienne Cartier Parkway and Lisgar Road: from 6:45 am to 1:30 p.m.
  • Lisgar Road between Buena Vista Road and the Georges Étienne Cartier Parkway: from 6:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
  • Birch Avenue between the George Étienne Cartier Parkway and Hemlock Road: from 6:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
  • Hemlock Road westbound between St. Laurent Boulevard and Lansdowne Road: 6:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • Beechwood Avenue westbound between Lansdowne Road and Acacia Avenue: from 6:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • Beechwood Avenue westbound (one lane) between Acacia Avenue and Crichton Street: 6:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.
  • Crichton Street northbound between Beechwood Avenue and Dufferin Road: 6:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.
  • Dufferin Road between Stanley Avenue and Crichton Street: 6:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.
  • Stanley Avenue between Dufferin Road and Sussex Drive: 6:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
  • Colonel By Drive from Rideau Street to Hawthorne Avenue: 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • Pretoria Bridge: from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.